Bronzing and like machine.



M. SMITH.

BRONZING AND LIKE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1914.

1,136,623. Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-$151331 1.

UNITED STATES Parana? OFFICE.

BRONZING AND LIKE MACHINE.

Application filed February 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,116.

To'aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK SMrn-I, ject oflthe King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident port, in the county of Chester, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bronzing and like Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flat bed bronzing or the like machines of the type in which a traveling belt passes around drums or pulleys and carries a card or sheet of paper or other material under or against various applying, polishing or equivalent devices, and which belt is provided on its outer surface with spring gripper plates which close by their own springiness to grip upon the outer surface of the belt the sheet or card and carry such sheet or card under the polishing devices, and are operated by means of cam devices disposed. inside the belt.

This invention consists in a particular construction of spring gripper plate. Any number of such plates may be used in combination with each other to form a complete gripping device along thelea ding edge of a sheet or card. The improved gripper consists of a single strip of sheet steel or other metal longitudinally disposed on the belt and secured at its leading end to the under or inner side of the belt in such a manner as to normally exert a gripping pressure by its rear'end on the outer surface of the belt. The steel strip is sufliciently bowed or bent to engage with a ramp and then to pass through a hole in the belt. The part which projects from the outer surface of the belt is bent and flattened to form the gripper plate and to close the holes in the belt, and may extend 'to any convenient distance on each side of the'part which passes through the belt. Ramps or the like may be employed to open the gripper, or parts of the drums or pulleys around which the belt passes may themselves open the gripper as the latter passes around them.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a fiat bed traveling belt bronzing machine provided with gripping devices constructed,

Specification of Letters Patent.

a sub- 7 of Reddish, near Stockping position. Fig. 4 'slmilar to Fig. 3 but shows the gripper in its in a row at suitable Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

disposed and operated according to this inventlon.

Figure 1 is a general view in vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of part of the traveling belt, showmg one of a row 01" the improved grippers. F1g. 3 is a sectional side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and also illustrates one form of device for operating the gripper, the grlpper being shown in its closed or gripis'a view generally open position.

Referring chiefly to Fig. 1, A is the casing of the machine; B, B, the bronze applying and polishing rollers; C a traveling belt moving continuously in one direction for carrying the cards or sheets of papers under the rollers B; D and D which the belt passes placed respectively at the feed and delivery ends of the machine; E a table or fiat support over which the belt passes beneath the polishing rollers; F, rollers between which the bronzed sheet may be dusted back and front; G a fan by which air and suspended bronze dust are drawn from the machine and an inward air draft or current into the machine from the work room is caused; and S a separator in which the bronze dust so withdrawn from the machine is separated from the air and can be returned to the machine for re-use. Except for the grippers on the belt the above described parts may be of any usual and convenient construction.

he grippers illustrated as constructed according to this invention consist of a number of thin steel spring strips or plates H laid distances apart across the belt C, each plate or strip being parallel to the edge C of the belt. The leading end of each plate or strip is secured to the under side of the belt by a rivet K. The strip curves or is bowed downward away from the belt, and then passes upward through a hole 0 in the belt. The rear or following end of the plate or strip is bent or'formed as at H (see Figs. 3 and 4) and itis this end which grips the sheet upon the belt.

the pulleys around I 3 the parts gripped between them and the belt. The grippers and sheet then are carried by the belt beneath the bronzing rollers The The form of the plate and its attachment to the belt are such that its own sprmgmess will maintain it, when it is free, to do so, in the gripping position shown in Fig. 3. The downwardly curved portion of each plate is the part which is engaged by an operating device to open the gripper. To freely permit the'passage of these parts the pulleys D and D are formed with circumferential grooves properly placed and of sufiiciently large dimensions. In these grooves, however, are placed the gripper operating devices L, hose acting in conjunction with the roller D at the feen end of the machine being additionally shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

--When a gripper is traveling through the position shown in-Fig. .4 its downwardly curved part runs up the curved front and upper edge of the operating device L and lifts the part H of the gripper off the belt. The gripper is then'open and-remains open until its curved portion reaches the rear of the ramp L, when the spring of the plate forces the plate end H down on to the face of ,the belt. The gripper is then closed. This is illustrated in Fig. 3.

When the grippers are in the position of Fig. 4 the front edge of a sheet or card is placed under their rear ends H that part of each plate which passes through the belt acting as a stop" to the edge of the sheet. When the grippers reach the position of Fig. H are pressed firmly down on to the surface of the belt and the sheet is firmly table E if used, has longitudinal grooves or recesses to freely permit the passage of the downwardly curved parts of the plates H.

When the grippers arrive at the delivery end of the machine they are again opened and closedby devices Lof like construction and disposition to those already described as being at the feed end of the machine. While the grippers are open at the delivery end the edge of the sheet may be seized by delivering devices of any suitable or known construction which pass between the various plates I-I disposed in a row across the belt and effect the delivery of the sheet. Or

any other convenient delivery appliances may be used.

In the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 the grippers are shown as disposed across the belt in three rows. One row is indicated at 1,another at 2, and the third at 3. The row at 1 is shown with the component plates in their closed positions having just gripped a sheet M to draw it under the rollers B. Therow at 2 is shown with the springs or plates open to deliver up the sheet which they have just drawn under the rollers B. The row at 3 has its strips closed andidly passing to t e feed end of the machine to take up another sheet.

The devices by which the sheets or cards may be fed correctly to the grippers may be any of those known and used in printin bronzing and like machines. Or, if desire the feeding may be effected by hand. The

belt maybe made of any of the materials usually employed for such belts, and the rear ends "H of the, gripping plates may come down directly upon the substance of the belt, or,

sheets the surface of the belt may be proat the points where such ends grip the vided with thin protective plates. The

permitting the passage of air from the space surrounding the belt into the chamber formed and inclosed by the belt. In this chamber is the port or opening N leading to the fan G. The chamber inclosed by the belt may have a tray on which bronze dust may settle. This settled bronze dust may be brushed to the openingN.

What I claim is 1. In a traveling belt bronzing machine comprising a traveling belt, and means for driving the same, spring grippers thereon composed of spring plates attached to the inner surface side of the belt and projecting through holes in the belt to the outer surface thereof where they are provided with" gripper ends which completely close the holes in the belt, andmeans situated within the loop of the belt adapted to cooperate with parts of the spring grippers to open and permit the closing of such grippers as they move over such means, substantlally as described.

2. On a traveling carrying belt for a bronzing machine, a spring gri per composed of a spring plate the leading end of which is attached to the inner-surface of the belt the outer end of which passes through a hole to the outer surface of the belt where it is formed with a gripping end which completely closes the holes in the belt, and the intermediate portion of which projects away from the inner surface of the belt in a manner suitable for engagement with means for lifting the gripping end away from and permittingit to return to the outer surface of the belt, substantially as described.

3. In a traveling belt bronzing machine comprising a traveling belt, and circumferentially grooved pulleys for the same, spring grippers composed of spring plates attached by their leading ends to the inner surface of grippers by engagement with their projecting intermediate parts, substantially as here- 10 inbefore described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARK SMITH. Witnesses WILLIAM GEO. HEYL, JoHN OCQNNELL. 

